By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, July 5, 2026 - Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has ordered the immediate recruitment and deployment of chiefs and assistant chiefs to newly created administrative units in Samburu County, saying the move is critical to strengthening security and restoring government presence in banditry-prone areas.
Speaking during a church service in Kerio Valley on Sunday, Murkomen directed the County Commissioner to complete interviews for the positions within a week so successful candidates can begin work immediately.
"I have ordered that all the locations that the government had gazetted previously be made public, and I am ordering the County Commissioner to fast-track the interview process of the Chiefs and the Sub-Chiefs to be done by this week, so that by next week, all the qualified candidates will be stationed in the newly zoned locations," Murkomen said.
The deployment follows the government's creation of new administrative units, including Samburu West Sub-county, with Loosuk designated as its headquarters. The sub-county was among 578 new administrative units established across 31 counties in a 2024 government reorganisation aimed at bringing public services and security closer to communities.
Murkomen said strengthening local administration would enhance the government's ability to respond quickly to insecurity in areas that have experienced persistent cattle rustling and bandit attacks.
The Interior CS also announced additional security measures, including the deployment of more Kenya Police Reservists (KPR) and the return of the Special Operations Group (SOG), an elite police unit tasked with combating organised crime and banditry.
He warned residents against possessing illegal firearms, saying security agencies would intensify operations to recover weapons from civilians.
Murkomen also accused some politicians of fuelling insecurity by allegedly arming young people and issued a stern warning against the practice.
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"I am warning any politician in these areas: if you are caught selling guns to these youths, your days are numbered," he said.
He also cautioned young people against accepting firearms from political leaders.
"And you, as a youth, if you are caught with a gun sold to you by a politician, you will carry your own cross in the face of justice."
The latest directives come as the government intensifies efforts to end banditry across the North Rift, particularly in Samburu, Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot counties, where recurring cattle rustling and armed attacks have claimed lives and displaced communities.
Authorities say more than 2,600 illegal firearms have already been recovered across the region through ongoing security operations, including Operation Rudisha Bunduki.
Murkomen's announcement also comes a day after he declared parts of Marsabit County security-disturbed and dangerous for another 30 days, while extending an order requiring residents to surrender illegal firearms as part of the government's broader crackdown on armed criminal groups operating in northern Kenya.
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